


Lost In Middle Earth Part 1 An Unexpected Journey

by BTJenkins



Series: Rosalie Kindrick In Middle Earth [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-02-28 22:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2749931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BTJenkins/pseuds/BTJenkins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rosalie Kindrick is bored of life in Scotlnd. When she falls asleep and wakes up in the Shire, she finds her entire world turned upside down. Here she meets Thorin Oakenshield and his company. She joins their quest to take back the mountain. Will she survive this new harsh world filled with wizards, dwarves, hobbits and elves? An Unexpected Journey, the first in a three part series, follows Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey script with a few added scenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please Note that Rosalie Kindrick is an OC Characters, other characters are copyright to MGM, Peter Jackson and Tolkien. This takes place in The Hobbit: AN Unexpected Journey and follows the script line roughly*

I found myself staring hatefully at my bed. It was nothing but an empty promise. I knew I would go to lie, lie awake for hours and think about all the stupid and embarrassing things I have ever done in my life, think about all the things I could do about it, then fall asleep. Once I’m asleep, I’ll get sweet dreams of things I want to happen and then I will be cruelly awoken by my alarm. I sighed. Life is one never ending circle of promises and disappointments. Sure some people get lucky but average, invisible people like me get stuck in a rut forever. Fact. I reluctantly changed out of my jeans and t-shirt and pulled on my leggings and baggy jumper that I sleep in. I plaited my hair into two plaits as it was still dripping wet. I couldn’t even be bothered taking my bra off. I flopped down on my bed and sighed. I wanted to end up anywhere but here. Like a fantasy land with orcs and giants and dwarves and elves. That’d be nice, that’d be wonderful- to wake up in another world. I lay awake for hours picturing what this world would be like. After a while my daydreaming became me dreaming.  
Birds twittering loudly. That’s what aroused me from my sleep. I felt rather peaceful until those damn birds began twittering. I groaned, realising I had left the window open. There was a pleasant breeze as well that swirled around me. I rolled onto my back and stretched out, my eyes still closed. Something cracked beneath me. It was rough and dug into my back painful. My eyes flew open. I was gazing up at the night sky. I sat up and looked around. A leaf fell from my hair. I twisted my body and looked around. I was sitting in the middle of a woodland area. I stood up and looked around. I had no idea where I was. It felt like both a dream and reality. I pinched my skin. It hurt but I didn’t work. I heard people talking, laughing loudly. I followed the sound and emerged from the woodland area. I stood up on a bank with what appeared to be a dirt track below. I looked down and saw I was wearing what I fell asleep in- my leggings and baggy jumper. The only thing I had on my feet were my mismatched socks. Two people were walking up the road, walking away from me. I had no idea where I was and they were the only two around. They might be murderers or something! I thought. I was a risk I was willing to take. I jumped down and landed on the dirt track, landing right on a rock. I winced as it pressed into my foot.  
“Excuse me!” I called after the two men.  
They stopped and turned round. I hurried up towards them. As I got closer to them, I noticed I was a good head taller than me. They were also dressed peculiarly: One was wearing brown with a pale brown fur lined jacket, the other wearing dark leather. They had extremely long hair and beards just starting to grow. The one in the dark leather, who had dark hair, was extremely cute looking in the dim look.  
“What can we do for you?” he asked.  
“Can you tell me where I am?” I asked, sounding stupid.  
He and the other person threw each other looks of confusion. I felt so stupid and humiliated. They looked like I had lost my mind. I gazed down at my socks, desperately wishing I would wake up or the ground to swallow me whole. I still wasn’t convinced this was real. It has to be a dream, only in a dream would I be taller than a fully grown man.  
“You’re in the shire,” the one with the paler hair asked.  
“Are you lost?” the other one asked.  
“Yes,” I said, sounding breathless. “I woke up in those trees and I have no idea where am i- wait did you say the shire?”  
The two men exchanged looks of uncertainly. It was like they were having a silent conversation with one another with merely looks and eyebrow twitches. I stood there, shivering in the coolness of the night.  
“Come with us,” the one with the dark hair said suddenly.  
“Gandalf will know what to do,” the other one added.  
“We’re heading to a meeting with him right one!” the dark haired one said happily.  
“Oh- okay,” I responded in surprise.  
And that was that, that was how I joined two strangers going to their meeting with this Gandalf in the Shire. The name sounded familiar but I couldn’t place were. My head felt all fuzzy. As I tried to recall things before I fell asleep, they came in patches and in a blurred, unfocused sort of way. My head started to hurt. We must have walked for at least half an hour before I started to see lights. The lights were coming from little windows in the hills. The two men looked at the doors determinedly. They stopped at a particular door. There was a glowing blue mark scratched onto the door. The door was small and round. I could just fit in it, I decided. They opened the gate and walked up to the door. I suddenly felt shy and hung back nervously. They knocked on the door. An extremely small, grumpy man answered the door. He was wearing a dressing gown and looked harassed.  
“Fili,” said the light haired one.  
“Kili,” said the other. “And this is-,” Kili added, turning to point me out.  
“Oh, we don’t know your name!” Kili gasped.  
“Rosalie,” I muttered.  
They turned back to the door.  
“At your service,” they said together, bowing at the same time.  
“You must be Mr. Boggins!” Kili said  
“Nope, you can’t come in, you’ve come to the wrong house,” the tiny man cried.  
He tried to close the door but Kili stuck his foot in the door. I winced at the door slammed on him.  
“What? Has it been cancelled?” Kili asked, sounding upset.  
“No one told us!” Fili added, sounding annoyed.  
I just stood at the back, feeling awkward and forgotten. They were more interested in intruding on this poor man’s home than anything else. I had no idea what they were hoping to find here but I just kind of wanted to pull them away.  
“Can--? No—nothing’s been cancelled,” the little man said, sound confused.  
Kili and Fili pushed their way into the lobby and began unloading everything they had on them- mostly weapons. I hover by the door for a moment before stepping into the lobby. My head almost brushed the ceiling of the lobby. I stood in a beautiful crafted home built into a low, curved mountain. There were tunnels and doors leading everywhere. It was wonderful. I gave the tiny man an apologetic shrug. He looked just as lost and confused as I felt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rosalie finds herself in a hole in the ground. A very cosy hole in the ground, you should know. here she meets even more wonderous and strange creatures and her journey begins to take form. Will Gandalf be able to help her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Please Note that Rosalie Kindrick is an OC Characters, other characters are copyright to MGM, Peter Jackson and Tolkien. This takes place in The Hobbit: AN Unexpected Journey and follows the script line roughly*

“Careful with these, I just had ‘em sharpened,” Fili said cheerfully, walking off.  
“It’s nice, this place,” Killi commented casually. “D’you you do it yourself?”  
He began scraping mud off his boots on the edge of an old looking chest. I pulled face of disgust. I was amongst savages in clean clothes and nice houses. The tiny man made a noise of annoyance.  
“Ah, no, it’s been in the family for years,” the tiny man replied. “That’s my mother’s glory box, can you please not do that?!” he added, turning to Kili.  
Somebody entered the lobby to see what was going on. He was just as short as Fili and Kili but far more bulkier and odler looking. He had a bald scalp but hair growing in a neat semi-circle at ear level. He also had a long, bushy, epic beard.  
“Fili, Kili, come on, give us a hand,” he grunted.  
“Mister Dwalin,” Kili said, a little mockingly.  
They laughed before following Dwalin out. The tiny man turned to give me a confused look.  
“You know more than I do, mate,” I said, shrugging. “At least you know where you are,”  
That caused the tiny man to look even more confused and helpless. I felt sorry for him- more sorry than what I felt for myself. We were both in the same boat and completely out of our depth.  
“Let’s shove this in the hallway,” said yet another small man. “Otherwise we’ll never get everyone in,”  
“Ev—everyone?” the tiniest man gasped. “How many more are there?”  
“Where do you want this?” Fili asked.  
“Rosalie! Give us a hand,” Kili called.  
I gave the tiny man a sympathetic look before scurrying after Kili. I was relieved I had been asked to do something. I was giving a stack of old looking plates and told to put them out at the table. Fili was setting out the cutlery. He went behind me as I placed the table. As we were setting the table, the doorbell rang. The tiny man looked angry which was rather comical, considering his height. He flung the swords and other equipment Kili and Fili had dumped on him on a chair and marched over to the door. Fili and I paused at the door, glancing round to get a better look. I exchanged a look with Fili. There was a mischievous crinkle in his eye. I hid a giggle behind a spare hand, balancing the plates on my stomach.   
“Oh no. No, no!” the tiny man called angrily. “There’s nobody home! Go away, and bother somebody else. There’s far too many dwarves in my dinning room as it is. If-if-if this is some clotterd’s idea of a joke, ha, ha, I can only say, it is in very poor taste,”  
Dwarves! I yelped in my head in shock. That would explain the height. If there are dwarves, what on earth is the tiny man? A miniature dwarf? I giggled at that. The tiny man wrenched open the door and a pile of the dwarves tumbled in, landing on top of one another. They grumbled and moaned as they untangled themselves. One of the other dwarves cleared his throat and Fili and I hastily finished setting up the table. There was no room for me so I opted to sit behind Kili and Fili.   
“Gandalf,” the tiny man said with a sigh.  
Everything burst into movement. I got pushed and shoved out of the way as the dwarves made straight for the pantry. I got shoved so badly I fell backwards, somebody caught me. I looked up to find Kili looking down at me. He had a very beautiful face with beautiful dark brown eyes. He smiled as he straightened me up. I found myself blushing as I tugged nervously at my jumper.  
“Thanks,” I muttered.  
He was lost amongst the other dwarves. The tiny man hurried between them, protesting and grumbling.  
“Those are my plates!” he cried. “Excuse me! Not my wine! Put that back! Put that back! Not the jam, please!...Excuse me,”  
He just got ingored. I slipped out of the crowd into the quitter dining room. I stood in the corner and watched them all talk and chat, feeling left out. It was like being at high school all over again. Occasionally Fili or Kili would catch my eye and grin at me. I could only return the smile half arsed. A rather large dwarf with his bead plaited and looped up into a W shaped walked out with three wheels of cheese.  
“Excuse me. A tad excessive, isn’t it?” the tiny man asked. “Have you got a cheese knife?”  
“Cheese knife?” a dwarf with a funny hat repeated. “He eats it by the block,”  
Two dwarves appeared carrying more chairs to fill up the empty spaces.  
“No! No!” the tiny man cried desperately. “That’s Grandpa Mungo’s chair! No, I’m sorry, you’ll have to take it back please. Take it back… it’s antique, not for sitting on! Thank you! That’s a book not a coast. Put that map down, thank you.”  
The poor tiny many was so harassed and fretting over his precious items. I felt sorry for him. I was glad I was going unnoticed by everyone.   
“I cannot hear what you’re saying,” an old dwarf with a grey beard shouted.  
They continued bringing food and furniture from all over the house into the dinning room. It was onlt then that I noticed an extremely tall man stooped in the doorway, surrounded by dwarves. He had long hair and a long beard that were both greying. A dwarf with short grey hair appeared at his side.  
“Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf,” the dwarf called politely. “Can I attempt you with a nice cup of chamomile tea?”  
“Oh, no thank you, Dori,” the tall man in the grey replied. “A little red wine for me, I think,”  
The tall man slipped out off the madness into the quite dinning room to get out of the dwarves away. I watched him with fascinating. I guessed he was this Gandalf that Kili and Fili mentioned.  
“Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori… Ori,” he listed off under his breath.  
It was then he caught sight of me. he blinked in surprised and walked over towards me. He smacked his head against a chandelier. I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.  
“And who are you?” he asked. “You are not a hobbit and you are too tall and beardless to be a dwarf,”  
“I’m Rosalie,” I said, craning my neck to look at him. “And I’m human as far as I am concerned. Fili and Kili brought me here- I’m rather lost,”  
“And what do you mean by lost?” Gandalf asked.  
“I’m not from around here,” I said, feeling foolish. “I woke up in some woods and came across Fili and Kili passing on this road to this place called a shire. They said this man called Gandalf could help,”  
I looked up at the old, greying man with hope. He frowned down at me, like he couldn’t quite understand my situation. He opened his mouth when some from behind caught his attention. He turned round and I let out an audible gasp. The dwarf behind him had an axe coming out of his head. I took a step back in fright. The dwarf said something in language that I couldn’t even begin to understand.  
“Yes, you’re quite right, Bifur,” Gandalf agreed to what was said in English. “We appear to be one dwarf short.”  
“He is late, is all,” grunted Dwalin who had been watching by a doorframe. “He travelled north to a meeting of our kin. He will come,”  
“Mr Gandalf?” asked the dwarf with the short hair.  
On closer inspection, his hair wasn’t short at all- is was merely plaited and pinned up around his head. After that, I was forgotten about again. The dwarves settled down for the food they had taken. I sat behind Kili and Fili for a bit, growing bored of being forgotten. They all seemed happy and glad to be in each other’s company. It was a merry gathering and I felt like I was in high school- the sad loner girl you let tag along cause you feel sorry for her. The comparison didn’t help. Kili turned round and handed me a plate laden with food. He grinned through a mouthful of ham and tomatoes. I thanked him and slipped away unnoticed with my plate. I joined the tiny man who was gazing into his now empty pantry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Rosalie and Bilbo watch from the sidelines, the dwarves make themselves at home. Everything is fun and cheerful until the arrival of the final member of Oakenshield's company arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Note that Rosalie Kindrick is an OC Characters, other characters are copyright to MGM, Peter Jackson and Tolkien. This takes place in The Hobbit: AN Unexpected Journey and follows the script line roughly*

“Here, you look like you could use some,” I said, offering the tiny man my plate.

“Thank you,” he said, picking up a slice of ham.

“Some gathering, eh?” I said, popping a cherry tomato into my mouth. “What’s the occasion?”

“I have no idea,” the tiny man replied. “I have never seen any of them in my life, apart from Gandalf,”

The food was delicious, so rich and filling. The tiny man and I stood side by side, watching the dinner party on the side lines.

“Bilbo,” he said suddenly, taking a roll. “Bilbo Baggins is my name,”

“Rosalie,” I replied. “Rosalie Kindrick,”

They were extremely messy. All at once they began downing their mugs of ale. The ale mostly got into their beards. I pulled a face of disgust whilst Bilbo made a noise of unhappiness at it. They all began having a burping contest. Bilbo actually turned away at that. They finished eating and Bilbo rushed forwards, chasing after a dwarf that picked up a doily. I followed Bilbo with an amused expression. I was trying to find out what to do with my plate.

“Excuse me!” Bilbo cried yet again. “That is a doily, not a dishcloth,”

He snatched it out of the confused looking dwarf. I stood behind him, trying hard not to snigger.

“But it’s full of holes!” protested the dwarf with the funny hat.

“It’s supposed to look like that, its crochet,” Bilbo grumbled.

“Oh, and a wonderful game it is too,” the dwarf with the funny hat agreed. “If you got the balls for it,”

He gave me a wink as I lost it. I stood there, clinging onto my plate as I giggled. Kili appeared by my side and took my plate from me. After a lot more scrambling, I retreat into the now quite dining room where the extremely fat dwarf if devouring the leftovers and a few others sat avoiding the chaos of cleaning up (or just avoiding cleaning up). They completely ignores me so I do the same.

“Excuse me,” asked a young, cheerful looking dwarf. “I’m sorry to interrupt but what should I do with my plate?”

“Here you go, Ori,” Fili said, taking the plate. “Give it to me,”

Without warning he tosses the plate to Kili. I let out a gasp as Kili tosses it behind him without another glance. I expected to hear a crash but none came. I stood up and rushed into the kitchen to watch. The dwarves begin a line of throwing the plates at one another.

“Rosalie!” Kili cried, a twinkle in his eye. “Catch!”

“No don’t!” I cried but it was too late. 

A bowl came flying towards me. Instead of catching it, I deflected it towards the dwarf behind me. He caught it and began to wash it. I picked up a cloth and began drying the plates to avoid Kili throwing anymore at me. He was lucky there was someone behind me to catch it. I threw him an annoyed look and he burst out laughing. I couldn’t help but grin. He was like an excited puppy- someone you couldn’t stay mad at, no matter what they do. 

“Oh!” Gandalf chuckled, narrowly avoiding being hit by a plate.

Poor Bilbo looked harassed at the plates flying everywhere.

“Excuse me, that’s my mother’s West Farthing crockery,” he cried amongst the flying plates. “It’s over a hundred years old!”

All off a sudden, the dwarves in the dining room began drumming rhythmically on the table with their forks, knives and fists.

“And can-can you not do that?” Bilbo pleaded helplessly. “You’ll blunt them,”

“Ooh, d’hear that, lads?” the dwarf with the funny hat asked. “He says we’ll blunt them,”

Then out of nowhere, they begin singing.

“Blunt the knives, bend the forks!” Kili burst out singing in a deep, sexy voice.

“Smash the bottles and burn the cocks,” Fili continued in a lighter voice.

They all joined in straight afterwards:

“Chip the glasses and crack the plates  
that’s what Bilbo Baggins Hates!  
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat  
leave the bones on the bedroom mat  
pour the milk on the pantry floor  
splash the wine on every door  
dump the crocks in a boiling bowl  
pound them up with a thumping pole  
when you’ve finished, if any are whole  
send them down the hall to roll  
…  
that’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!”

As they sang, they continued throwing the plates around and piling them up on the table. I helped stack them neatly, laughing and clapping at the song. Kili looked at me with a pleased expression. Bilbo came rushing in and looked relieved that nothing had actually been damaged and everything was in order. Then there was a heavy knock on the door.

Everyone fell silent at that knock. I gazed at Gandalf, looking for reassurance. There was just something about Gandalf that made you feel safe. He looked solemnly towards the door. I felt actually really nervous by this new stranger.

“He is here,” Gandalf declared.

He walked towards the door, everyone else followed him. I hung back shyly. Gandalf pulled open the door to reveal the new arrival. He was majestic. There was no other way to describe him. He was a majestic lion amongst the scabbiest cubs. He had the air of a king, someone you respected just by looking at. I felt envious and awe to be in his presence. He entered the little house and looked around. The dwarves bowed or half bowed. I felt like I should have but I felt silly at the thought of it. 

“Gandalf,” he his voice was majestic. “I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I loves my way, twice. Wouldn’t have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door.”

Bilbo stepped forward, looking irritated.

“Mark? There’s no mark on that door,” Bilbo protested. “It was painted a week ago!”

I felt so sorry for the tiny thing, all harassed and out of his depth. He appeared to be having a worse time than me. Well, at least they haven’t entered my home and tore it apart and emptied my fridge of all its contents. 

“There is a mark; I put it there myself,” Gandalf confessed. “Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield,”

Majestic as fuck. And as per usual, I was forgotten at the back of the group, despite towering over most of them. 

“So this is the Hobbit,” Thorin said, eying Bilbo up. “Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?”

What the fuck have I gotten myself into? I asked myself.

“Padron me?” Bilbo asked, hoping he had misheard Thorin.

“Axe or sword?” Thorin pressed. “What’s your weapon of choice?”

“Well I have some skill at conkers, if you must know,” Bilbo said proudly. “But I fail to see why that’s relevant,”

Thorin didn’t look impressed. Bilbo is just a socially awkward dork. It’s adorable. 

“Thought as much.” Thorin grunted. “He looks more like a grocer than a burglar,”

The dwarves all laughed at that. Then he turned at looked at me. I wished I was small enough to shrink down and hide. He looked at me with suspicion.

“And who is the girl?” he asked.

The group parted and pushed me forward. I stumbled forward, gulping.

“I’m Rosalie Kindrick,” I muttered.

“What are you doing here?” Thorin demanded.

“The hope somebody can send me home?” I offered hopefully. “Which is so far away it’s in another world entirely,”

“That much I feared,” Gandalf muttered under his breath but nobody could hear.

“Can you fight?” Thorin asked.

“Not fighting as such,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I do fencing, which is sorta like sword fighting--,”

Thorin just grunted at me and turned and walked into the dining hall. I was left there felling confused and stupid.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Elliot listens in to the dwarves conversation she begins to be drawn into the mysterious world she has found herself trapped in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Note that Rosalie Kindrick is an OC Characters, other characters are copyright to MGM, Peter Jackson and Tolkien. This takes place in The Hobbit: AN Unexpected Journey and follows the script line roughly*

Five minutes later I find Thorin sitting at the table eating with the dwarves and Gandalf sitting at the table beside him. Bilbo and I stood behind him awkwardly. 

“What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?” Balin asked eagerly. “Did they all come?”

“Aye,” Thorin replied between mouthfuls. “Envoys from all seven kingdoms,”

The dwarves muttered their joy. I had no idea what was going on, I was still trying to get over the majestic fucker that was Thorin Oakenshield. I caught Kili’s eye and he looked annoyed. I could see the same majesty in him. Perhaps they’re related? They look like they could be. And Fili too… I decided to stare at all the dwarves instead of just Thorin. 

“What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?” Dwalin asked. “Is Dain with us?”

“They will not come,” Thorin answered.

The dwarves murmured in disappointment this time. 

“They say this quest is ours and ours alone,” Thorin added.

I suddenly perked up at the word quest. Wasn’t this exactly what I hoped for before I feel asleep? Whether this is a delicious dream or not, I want in. if it is a dream, they will let me. If this is reality, I might have to fight for my place. 

“You’re going on a quest?” Bilbo asked.

“Like a real quest with dangerous journeys and perils to face?” I said excitedly.

Thorin looked at both of us in annoyance. I blushed and shrunk away from him. Gandalf chuckled. 

“Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light,” Gandalf requested.

Bilbo disappeared for a moment and returned carrying a candle. He takes it to the table and Gandalf spreads out a map. I go round the other side of Gandalf to get a better view. The map is extremely old and hand drawn. It shows a mountain with a little dragon circling it. I grow even more excited about it.

“Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single, solitary peak,” Gandalf muttered.

“The Lonely Mountain.” Bilbo said, reading it over Gandalf’s shoulder.

“Aye. Oin has read the portents and the portents say it is time,” cried a dwarf with a bushy ginger hair and beard.

“Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold,” the dwarf who must be Oin explained. “When the birds of yore return to Erebbor, the reign of the beast will end,”

Bilbo looked concerned at that the mention of the beast. I glanced back at the map to the picture of the dragon.

“Uh, what beast?” Bilbo asked nervously.

“Is that the dragon drawn on the map?” I asked curiously

“Aye,” the dwarf with the funny hat replied. “That would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of   
previous metals-,”

“Yes, I know what a dragon is,” Bilbo said interrupting him.

One of the young dwarves stand up.

“I’m not afraid!” he cried. “I’m up for it. I’ll give him a taste of the dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!”

Several of the dwarves laugh at him. I snigger but only at the word jacksie. I thought it was brave, stupid, but brave to declare something like that. 

“Sit down,” barked the dwarf beside him.

“The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us,” Balin said thoughtful. “But we number just fourteen and not fourteen of the best nor brightest,”

Whilst everyone began protesting that, demanding who he called dim and what not, I counted. I was surprised with Balin included me in that number. He gave me a small wink when he saw the look of recognition in my eye. I blushed and looked away. 

“What did he say?” Oin cried. 

“We may be a few in number,” Fili said, looking down the table. “But we’re fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!”

“And you forget,” Kili added excitedly. “We have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!”

I looked at Gandalf in surprise. Dwarves, wizards, dragons! Even a thing called a hobbit! I was all very exciting. The more magic that got brought into this world, the less likely it appeared I was awake during this. This is fantasy,   
whether I wake up in a second with my alarm blaring in my ear whole or I’m trapped in a coma, this cannot be reality. Can it? Gandalf looked awkward in this situation. It was obvious to me he hadn’t slain a dragon before.

“Oh, well, now, uhh, I-I-I wouldn’t say that I-,” he muttered.

“How many then?” the dwarf that told the young dwarf to sit down asked.

“Uh, what?” Gandalf asked.

I tried desperately to think off a change of topic.

“Well, how many dragons have you killed?” the dwarf pressed. “Go on, give us a number!”

“Hm,” Gandalf responded.

He began rapidly puffing and coughing on his pipe. The dwarves change the subject themselves and begin arguing loudly over how many dragons Gandalf has killed. I watched Thorin with interest. He grew angry quickly. He leapt to his feet.

“SHAZARA!” he bellowed, silencing them as once. “If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon, Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, and weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize the chance to take back Erebor? Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!

The dwarves burst out cheering. Even I joined in the cheering. It was just a moving speech. I felt like taking up a sword and charging that mountain. 

“You forget: the front gate is sealed,” Balin reminded them, dampening the mood. “There is no way into the mountain,”

“That, my dear Balin,” Gandalf said mysteriously. “Is not entirely true,”

He reached into his robes and pulled out a large, old fashioned key.


End file.
